Dracula (Universal Classics)
Count Dracula, simply known as Dracula, is the titular antagonist of the 1931 horror film Dracula. He is portrayed by Béla Lugosi. Origin Count Dracula is a vampire that through a deal with the devil has existed for centuries, also the character is of Transylvanian nobleman birthright and is a practitioner of sorcery. The character has claimed to be of Szelsky origin and related to Atilla the Hun. Dracula maintains residence in a ruined castle in the Carpathian mountains near The Borgo Pass, situated in far Eastern Europe which has become quite a popular setting for the character. Universal Dracula Nearly a decade after the release of Nosferatu, Universal developed a remake (Dracula) starring Bela Lugosi, that would turn him from a minority silent film artist to one of the greatest film stars of all time. Dracula was released on the February 3, 1931 and marked the beginning of the Golden Age of Horror, the period in which films with sound revolutionized the horror genre and some of the greatest horror monsters of all time made their eternal mark on film history. Dracula (1931) Universal released Dracula on the February 3, 1931. The highlight of this film was not only that it was the first motion picture widely distributed with sound, but also because it introduced seasoned screen and stage actor, Bela Lugosi, who had previously starred in the stage adaptation of the same name. Below is a scene from the original Dracula in which the count encounters Van Helsing. On Walpurgis night, Renfield (Dwight Frye), a British solicitor, travels to The Borgo Pass (residence of Dracula), where he is met by the Count's coachman, who takes him to the local town along with several other people who travel with him, but soon the other residents of the carriage begin to grow fearful and as they notice the sunset, they order the driver to stop. The residents arrive safely at the town before sundown. Renfield insists on arriving at the Count's castle, but the residents of the town beg him to stay at the inn. Renfield refuses and Dracula’s coach driver takes Renfield to the Count's castle, where he is baffled by the site of the decaying castle and by the display of wildlife & cobwebs before being greeted by Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi). Renfield is guided to the main sitting room by Dracula to discuss the terms of Dracula’s purchase of Carfax Abbey. Later in the evening, Dracula and Renfield retire, but little does Renfield know that Dracula was going to hypnotize him into being his slave. The two then set sail for England and bring with them the unspeakable horror of Dracula. After Lugosi After Bela Lugosi left Universal Studios briefly, only one actor was chosen to play the part of Dracula, John Carradine, who portrayed more true to the novel, Dracula, who reflected a British accent and a more sympathetic personality seeking to end his vampirism. Some fans were disappointed for the disappearance of Bela Lugosi, however they enjoyed Carradine's performance. His performance lasted through The House of Frankenstein and The House of Dracula. While the 40's was a quiet year for Dracula after the first film, a sequel, Dracula's Daughter, was made starring Gloria Holden. Nearly a decade later, a second sequel was made called Son of Dracula, in which Lon Chaney, Jr. stars as Count Alucard, the son of Dracula. However, one comedy horror film starring two globally acclaimed comedians, Abott and Costello, would be released in 1948 and would mark the second and last appearance of the greatest Dracula of all time. Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was released theatrically in 1948 and marked the final Dracula appearance of Bela Lugosi it also marked the end of the first half of the twentieth centuries Gothic horror as afterwards horror in the United States would be largely dominated by Sci-fi horror films such as The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Synopsis Chick Young and Wilbur Grey are two baggage boys at the La Mirada hotel Florida, but when Wilbur accidentally mishandles two crates belonging to MacDougal's House of Horrors' museum Mr MacDougal orders that the two deliver the crates personally to an insurance agent, but not before bragging to Wilburs girlfriend that both the crates contain the remains of the original Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the body of the Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange). And after that the two set off for Transylvania not knowing what crazy misadventures the two will experience. End of the Golden Age Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein marked the end of the Golden age of horror films and would give Dracula a decade long rest before he would appear again. Hammer A decade after Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was released and the horror genre seemed all but swept away by the global wave of B-movie sci-fi films Hammer a studio in England was responsible for reviving the then hard to find genre of gothic horror and reviving it with the use of realistic blood, motion picture colour, and explicit violence. But the Hammer series of Dracula was popular not only for these revolutionary factors but for the appearance of the man now widely considered as the second greatest Dracula of all time: Christopher Lee. Category:Vampires Category:Undead Category:Humaniods Category:Males Category:Villains Category:Anti-heroes Category:Universal monsters Category:Movie monsters Category:Horror monsters Category:Live-Action monsters Category:All monsters